1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to hard, gas permeable, biomedical devices including contact lenses prepared from monomeric polysiloxanes polymerized with a polycyclic modulus modifier and a tear film stabilizer.
2. Prior Art Statement
U.S. Pat. No. 3,639,362 discloses optical lenses with high glass transition points made from copolymers of (a) adamantane acrylate or methacrylate and (b) a second polymerizable, unsaturated monomer such as methylmethacrylate, styrene, acrylonitrile or vinyl chloride.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,808,178 discloses contact lenses fabricated from a copolymer of a polysiloxanylalkyl acrylic ester and an alkyl acrylic ester. The copolymer is said to have increased oxygen permeability. Wettability can be imparted to the copolymer by the addition of about 0.1 to about 10 percent by weight of the one or more hydrophilic monomers such as hydroxyalkyl acrylates and methacrylates, acrylic and methacrylic acid, acrylamide, glycidyl acrylate and N-vinyl pyrrolidinone.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,152,508 discloses hard contact lenses having a high oxygen permeability. The lens material is a copolymer of a siloxanylalkyl ester monomer, and itaconate ester and an ester of acrylic or methacrylic acid. Representatives of itaconate esters include phenyl itaconate, diphenyl itaconate and methyl phenyl itaconate.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,153,641 discloses contact lenses made from polymers and copolymers comprising poly(organo-siloxane) polymers and copolymers formed by polymerizing a poly(organosiloxane) monomer .alpha.,.omega. terminally bonded through divalent hydrocarbon groups to polymerized, free radical polymerizably activated, unsaturated groups forming a polymer in a crosslinked network. Additionally, specific comonomers are disclosed which include lower esters of acrylic and methacrylic acid, styryls and N-vinyl pyrrolidinone which may be copolymerized with the above described poly(organosiloxane) to form a copolymer. The instant invention preferred polysiloxane monomers include the same poly(organosiloxane) monomers described above.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,208,506 discloses soft contact lenses made from polymers and copolymers comprising polyparaffinsiloxane polymers and copolymers formed by polymerizing a polyparaffinsiloxane monomer .alpha.,.omega. terminally bonded through divalent hydrocarbon groups to polymerized, free radical polymerizably activated, unsaturated groups forming a polymer in a crosslinked network. Additionally, specific comonomers are disclosed which include lower esters of acrylic and methacrylic acid, styryls and N-vinyl pyrrolidinone which may be copolymerized with the above described polyparaffinsiloxane monomer to form a copolymer. The instant invention preferred polysiloxane monomers include the same polyparaffinsiloxane monomers described above.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,228,269 discloses contact lenses and blanks for same are made by polymerizing at least one styrene type monomer, optionally with at least one crosslinking monomer and optionally with other monoolefinically unsaturated monomers. Preferably the styrene monomer is a styrene substituted in the ring by at least one alkyl group, e.g., tertiary-butyl styrene and/or isopropyl styrene. The lenses have high gas permeability.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,254,248, granted on application Ser. No. 074,922 by Gary D. Friends et al., discloses monomeric polysiloxanes endcapped with activated unsaturated groups polymerized with a comonomer comprising a polycyclic ester of acrylic acid or methacrylic acid to form a soft contact lens is disclosed. The polycyclic monomer is present in an amount from about 20 to 80 weight percent of the total polymer. These instant polysiloxane copolymer soft contact lenses have unexpectedly high tear strengths and unexpectedly high modulus of elasticity.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,276,402, granted on application Ser. No. 075,365 by Richard E. Chromecek et al., discloses monomeric polysiloxanes endcapped with activated unsaturated groups polymerized with acrylic acid and polycyclic ester of acrylic acid or methacrylic acid to form a soft contact lens. The polycyclic monomer is present in an amount from about 5 to 50 weight percent of the total polymer and the acrylic acid is present in an amount from 1 to about 30 weight percent. These terpolymer soft contact lenses have unexpectedly high tensile strengths and improved tear strengths as compared to copolymers of polysiloxane and acrylic acid.
U.K. patent application No. 2,036,765 discloses soft contact lenses comprised of a hydrated copolymer of a major proportion of an hydroxyalkyl acrylate or methacrylate, up to 12% by weight of any ethylinically unsaturated acid or anhydride, a major proportion of a crosslinking monomer and a minor proportion of styrene or substituted styrene, the free acid or anhydride groups being in bulk form. The reinforcing effect of the styrene in the copolymer can be increased by incorporating it in more concentrated sequence, e.g., as a block copolymer.